


Something Borrowed, Something Blue

by Kumar



Category: He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, She-Ra: Princess Of Power (1985)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-01
Updated: 2020-04-13
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:14:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22977484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kumar/pseuds/Kumar
Summary: Adora has caught the eye of a ruthless and powerful Lord on Eternia who won't take no for an answer. When she disappears without a trace, will anyone be able to find her in time?
Relationships: He-Man | Adam/Adora (She-Ra)
Comments: 39
Kudos: 13





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note that there may be themes of potential sexual violence that may be triggering in this story. While I don't write anything that is sexual in this fandom, this particular story does imply some danger around that topic. If this is an issue for you, put your mental well being first and don't read it. <3

It was midsummer on Eternia and music from the royal palace floated through the air. All throughout the courtyard and into the ball room, people were gathered. Laughing, dancing and chatting.

Midsummer was a big deal because it gave the people of Eternia a chance to pause and be grateful for their good year. To plan for the upcoming harvest. To connect while the days were long and warm and beautiful.

Here on a rare trip from Etheria, the Princess Adora was trying to navigate the rules and formality involved in being a member of the royal family at an official event. Adora, the long lost twin of Prince Adam, was tall and lean and striking. Clearly someone used to fighting, she moved with the grace of a cat.

Dressed in formal wear provided by her mother, tonight Adora felt all trussed up. Everything was a little too tight, too long, too constricting.

Her brother, Adam, had given her a quick rundown of what was expected at the night’s events and how to act, but Adora wasn’t used to pomp and circumstance. She was doing her best at the party to stay off to the sidelines and observe, learning as fast as she could. Idly, she wondered how her friends on Etheria were doing. It would be the middle of the day there so they would be gathering supplies, helping neighbours with daily chores and of course doing recon against the Horde. 

The Prince had been distracted by a group of laughing women. Courtiers. He was the most eligible bachelor in Eternos. Adora watched as her brother, normally so confident and adept, was virtually dragged off in the centre of the group of women. He was polite. He was smooth. He was pretending to be slightly flustered. 

The young woman shook her head and looked away. Her brother had grown up in this world. She was sure he had far more control over the situation than he let on. She decided to leave him to his fun.

Around her, the party continued to be lively. Her parents were circulating through the crowds, clearly favoured by their people. A quick glance around showed Man-At-Arms talking with a group of older men. Completely enthralled. Teela, off in the far end of the room, entertaining several eligible young men.

Adora wondered if the whole point of this party was to marry people off, the rest of the fun just a bonus. She smoothed her hands down her dress, shifting slightly. Feeling the weight of her crown on her head. It was a simple golden circlet but to her it was more than a symbol. It was a reminder that she had duties and obligations to meet once she and the Great Rebellion on Etheria defeated the invading Horde.. It seemed like her life would never be her own.

Before her thoughts had a chance to get really dark, Adora was interrupted. A tall man, dressed in lavish clothing and draped in jewellery stopped in front of her and bowed deeply. He was tall, imposing, and exuded a presence that was incredibly confident and slick.

“Princess,” he murmured, grasping her hand and bowing again. “It is an absolute pleasure to meet you in person. You are more beautiful than I’ve been told.”

Adora smoothly removed her hand, blushing and then annoyed with herself for being delicate. “Thank you….” she began and then paused, not knowing who was standing in front of her.

“Lord Farnbold,” the man responded. “Princess, I rule the lands far to the south, providing Eternos with its gold and fine crafted jewellery.”

Well, Adora thought ruefully, that explained the amount of gold and glitter the man was wearing. Too much for her taste, but who was she to judge?

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” the princess responded. 

Lord Farnbold grasped her hand again and gave it a little tug. “The pleasure is all mine, Princess. Please do me the honour of dancing with me.”

The tug grew more insistent, but Adora didn’t mind to some degree. She wasn’t up to speed on all the royal politics and didn’t want to offend anyone. She glided onto the dance floor led by Farnbold. She figured it wouldn’t be too bad but then the man pulled her close and tight, pressed firmly against her.

Adora had years of fight training and years of trauma under her belt. Being held firmly made her extremely uncomfortable and triggered a fight and flight response within her. Immediately she tensed, ready to push her way free but the Lord had other plans. Sensing his dance companions tension, he pulled her even closer.

With a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, he said, “Come now, Princess. This is a chance to get to know one another.”

Adora’s strength was no match for the larger man’s. Not in her current form. She-Ra would have no problems breaking free, but as Adora, she was stuck. The young woman also didn’t want to make a scene. She’d been given the run down of some of the politics but she honestly couldn’t remember if this guy was someone that needed careful handling. 

Just as she was struggling to take in a breath, feeling both uncomfortably afraid and unable to free herself, Adora felt a warm and welcome hand on her shoulder. It was Adam! And he was a sight for sore eyes.

“I’m so sorry, Lord Farnbold,” Adam said firmly with a tight smile on his face, “I’m afraid the Princess is needed elsewhere.”

He gently tugged her away, forcing Lord Farnbold to let go. Without looking back, Adam slung an arm around Adora’s shoulders and led her away. Still shaken by the close, too close! Encounter, Adora allowed herself to be guided out the door and away from the crowd. 

Once out of the room, and down a corridor, Adam leaned in. “Are you ok, Sis?” He kept them walking smoothly until the music from the party was faint. “I could sense your distress from across the room!”

Adora wrapped her arm around her dear brother’s waist and pulled him tighter. They walked in step, easily, and she took comfort in his presence. “I’m still finding the whole Princess thing to be hard to navigate, Brother. How do you deal with the suitors and the rules and the etiquette?”

Adam smiled ruefully, “I have learned how to hide.” 

He guided them into a side door which led into the palace kitchens. There, they were out of the way but had access to the special foods and desserts prepared for the gala. Adam grabbed two plates, handed one to his sister and immediately started choosing foods for each of them. Plates piled high with foods Adora didn’t even recognize, they headed out.

“Plus,” the young Prince continued, “there are benefits to these kinds of parties!”

Adora looked at her plate and grinned. “Like what… The food?”

Adam laughed and led them over to a secluded garden bench. “Yep, Sis, definitely the food!”

They both laughed and tucked in. Enjoying a moment of comradery and fun.

*****

In the meantime, back at the party, Lord Farnbold was distracted, watching the young royals leave. Adora was intriguing, unlike any woman he’d met. She’d make him an excellent wife. He was sure of that.

Quickly and smartly turning on one heel, he went off to find his second in command. There was work to do.


	2. Chapter 2

It was a few days after the midsummer gala and Adora found herself without much to do. The delegates and guests had all left, or were on their way out. The palace had been restored to its former pristine and stark state. Finery put away for another occasion. There were no big upcoming royal events to deal with.

Adora was bored.

She still had a few days left on Eternia before she had to leave and she was determined to take some down time. Adora knew that when she went back to Etheria, the demands of the Rebellion would take over her time. Getting away to catch her breath was a precious gift.

Even Skeletor and his henchmen had been quiet. She’d had no need to transform into She-Ra and now she was itching for something to do.

Adora started walking over to the palace stables, intent on checking out the royal horses. Spirit had been happy to stay on Etheria. The white horse didn’t always like going through the interdimensional portal, and he knew that Adora’s royal obligations would keep her busy. Far nicer for him to stay home and enjoy grazing his way through the Whispering Woods.

A few steps into her decided direction, Adora faltered. She didn’t really feel like seeing other horses. She didn’t need to do any training, having run through her exercise routine earlier. This, nothing to do, was an odd feeling.

Quickly shaking her head, causing her blond hair to bounce, Adora made a decision. Adam had disappeared and she had a feeling she knew where he was. Lying next to his favourite fishing hole, feeling the sun warming his face, and just relaxing. That was what she needed. Good, basic, relaxation with someone who knew how to do it right.

Decision made, Adora went off.

****  
Lord Farnbold was a man who was used to getting what he wanted. And what he wanted was the young Princess of Eternia. She was the key to cementing his kingdom’s status with King Randor. Ensuring that Farndold had access to the power of the Eternian throne once Randor was out of the way.

The fact that the Princess was also beautiful didn’t hurt things either.

The power hungry Lord was well past the marrying age for his kingdom but he had hesitated to commit to marrying, always finding fault with the matches put before him. Not enough power. Not enough connections. Not young enough. Not beautiful enough.

For someone of his status, marriage would never be out of love, it would be a political match. And since it was ceremonial, it had to be done right. By the rules of his Kingdom and no one else’s. That meant a bride kidnapping. Proving his prowess by spiriting off his target, transporting her to his home and completing the ceremony.

To ensure no one would stop him, Farnbold and his expedition had officially left Eternos City shortly after the gala. Making sure to leave with full ceremonial farewells. No one would suspect that his people lay hidden two towns away, and he himself, along with his chief of staff, were hiding near the palace.

Farnbold was full of glee. It wouldn’t be long until he had a profitable marriage in the bag. Literally.


	3. Chapter 3

Adam was feeling anxious. He had planned to be at his favourite fishing hole for much of the afternoon but on his way out, his plans were waylaid by his father, King Randor.

The King had a full schedule of duties he was determined to make his son help him with. Both for the valuable experience the young prince needed, and because sometimes being a king involved far too much work to do on his own.

The older man worried about his son. Adam was smart and kind and generous to a fault, but that was balanced with a terrible lazy side coupled with cowardice that didn’t make sense to the king. He’d seen his son not flinch at events that caused the average person to run, but every time he thought he understood the boy, Adam would remind him of how little he understood.

An afternoon of reviewing laws, petitions from business owners and other minutia was exactly the opposite of what the young prince had in mind. He’d been hoping to catch his sister, who’d spent some time with their mother earlier. By the Ancients, it was a rare time when he could be with his twin and have no crisis at hand.

Oh they fought evil like the matched set they were, and he loved having someone around who completely understood the weight that came with carrying the Sword of Power, but sometimes fishing was his preferred choice of pastime. Fishing. Eating. Napping. All of those things. But with Adora, there was also sharing of stories, learning more about her. Helping her get to know her own heritage.

The restless feeling grew but Adam knew that ducking out on the King would be the worst thing he could do. He was supposed to be learning how to rule Erternia and learning about his duties as the next in line to the throne. His duties as He-Man often conflicted with his duties to the kingdom and there were times that Adam almost resented being torn between them.

Deciding he was tired of being known as cowardly and lazy, Adam doubled down and reached for the next stack of papers. If he was going to be king, it was time to act like it.

***

Hours later, the pair were interrupted by Marlena, the Queen of Eternia. She cleared her throat elegantly at the door. “Randor… Adam…. I think it’s time to stop for the evening. It’s dinner time and Chef Allen has gone out of his way again.”

Both king and son looked up in surprise. Marlena chuckled lightly at their expressions. Though her husband, Randor, may not see it, father and son were very much alike. She smiled at them both, wondering how she got so lucky to have ended up on this planet, with these people.

“You know, dinner? The evening meal?”

Adam stretched and cracked his back, realising he had been hunched over for hours. “Food sounds good, Mother.”

At the same time, his stomach rumbled, loudly and the group laughed. Randor stood up and walked over to his wife. “It was a good day, Son. We’ve nearly finished all the work!”

“Thank you, Father,” the young prince replied, face brightening at the praise. “We work well together.”

Adam stood up and pushed his chair in. “Say, where’s Adora?”

Marlena frowned, “I thought she was with you, to be honest. I was called away to deal with a minor issue hours ago and she said she’d go and find you, Adam.”

“I haven’t seen her since this morning,” Adam said. Anxiety ramping up several notches. “Father?”

Randor put his hand to his chin, thinking. “Nor I. I spent the morning dealing with the border dispute between Golden Valley and Meadow Lake. I wonder where she could be?”

Adam pushed past his parents to get out of the room, the anxiety in his stomach growing. This wasn’t good. Adora didn’t know Eternia like he did and though she wasn’t as vulnerable as the average person, she wouldn’t just vanish for hours. Not without telling him. Running down the hall, he called over his shoulder, “I don’t know but I’m going to go find out.”

The young man skidded into his room looking for his green cat, Cringer. As expected the large, striped cat was sleeping on his bed and looking warm and comfortable.

“Cringer! Wake up!”

The cat sniffed and stretched and opened one eye before smacking his lips. “Is it dinner time already?”

“Adora’s missing, Cringe! I need to go look for her and I have a feeling I’m going to need your help!”

“A-a-a-adora’s m-m-m-missing?”

“Yeah, Buddy, we gotta go,” Adam gave the cat a quick head scratch. “I have a bad feeling about this.”

The pair ran out of the room and nearly bumped into Teela who was walking by. The Captain of the Guard was startled and took a step back.

“Adam!” She scolded. “Watch where you’re going! Why are you in such a rush?”

“Have you seen Adora at all today?”

Teela shook her head, “Not since this morning. I saw her working out in the courtyard. She’s good, Adam. You could learn a thing or two from her.”

Adam winced a bit at the jab but ignored it otherwise. “We can’t find her anywhere. Teela, I think my sister is missing!”

Teela suddenly focused. This was her job. She started rattling off orders, “Ok, Adam you go and check the fishing holes she knows about. Maybe she went looking for you. I’ll go and check in with my guards and see if anyone has seen her.”

The young captain grabbed a guard who was walking by. “We’re looking for Princess Adora. Run to the south gate and see if she’s in the area. Message me back by comm link!”

The guard did a quick salute and ran off.

Teela had a sudden thought, “Adam, does Adora have a comm link of her own?”

Adam thought quickly. She didn’t. It was something they had all overlooked. BLAST! “No - she’s never here long enough to need one.”

“Ok,” Teela took control of her instinctive panic. She was trained for this. “Ok, you go to those fishing holes and comm me with whatever you find. I’ll get the guards to go over the palace and grounds. Adam, she’s probably just out of the way enjoying some quiet time. She’ll be fine.”

Adam thought otherwise, but he quickly nodded and turned on his heel, determined to find his sister. He’d turn Eternia upside down if need be, in order to find her. And he had the means to.

Minutes later Adam and Cringer arrived at their favourite fishing hole. The one he knew that Adora had been to recently with him. While his sister may not be fully familiar with Eternia, Adam knew that her force captain Horde training allowed her to remember details most people missed. She often surprised him with how quickly she could assess a situation or remember a complex map to a location on a simple glance.

The fishing hole really was slightly more than a hole but almost too small to be a pond. One side was slightly muddy. There was a lone tree with some grass. A perfect place, perfectly positioned to nap and fish. A log, lying helpfully near the water and comfortable to sit on, was off to the side. The other side of the hole was covered in scrub and longer grasses. More untouched and natural. 

Adam was pretty sure there weren’t any fish in the water, it wasn’t large enough to support them, but he really wasn’t there to catch anything other than a nap away from prying eyes.

There was no one there. The tree where Adam hid his fishing poles was also empty. Cringer was sniffing around helpfully. Adam knelt to try and read the tracks in the mud near the water. He wasn’t sure if the footprints were recent or not. The mud everywhere was soft and malleable.

“Adam!” Cringer called. “I f-f-f-found something.”

Adam ran over.

“It smells like Adora was here.” The cat pointed at the ground where they could both clearly see boot prints. “These are fresh. Today.”

Adam touched a print. “Are you sure, Cringe? The mud is soft everywhere.”

The cat nodded, “Her scent is fresh. She was here earlier today.”

Nose to the ground, Cringer started following a path that led around the water to the other side where there was long grass. Adam was just getting ready to call Teela back at the palace to report his lack of luck when Cringer froze.

Heart in his throat, Adam ran over to the cat. There, on the ground in the grass, nearly hidden by what looked like evidence of a violent fight, trampled mud and grass, was Adora’s Sword of Protection.


	4. Chapter 4

“By the Power of Grayskull!” 

Without hesitation, Adam transformed into his alter ego He-Man. The strongest man in the universe and powered by the magic of Castle Grayskull. The magical transformation from prince to hero only took seconds, and included the quivering Cringer who changed into Battle Cat.

Both hero and cat were taller, stronger and raring to go. Adam’s previous bought of hunger, magically removed in the process.

He-Man picked up his sister’s sword, the Sword of Protection and cradled it in his hands. Smaller than his own sword, but still quite large, the other significant difference between the swords was a gem. Hers had one, his didn’t.

He-Man held the sword up and called into the gem, “Sorceress, can you hear me? It’s He-Man. Sorceress, answer me, please!”

A moment later, the gem glowed and wavered. Inside, a figure formed. The head and shoulders of a woman wearing a falcon headdress appeared. She was old. She was young. She was timeless. Staring intently through the gem, she responded in a soft but powerful voice, “I hear you, He-Man. What’s wrong?”

For, if He-Man was calling through his sister’s sword, the Sorceress knew that something was very wrong indeed.

“Adora is missing, Sorceress,” the young man responded. “She’s vanished but I found her sword by my favourite fishing hole. It looks like there was some kind of fight if I’m reading the ground signs right.”

The Sorceress closed her eyes for a moment. Searching. 

“I can sense…. Something,” she paused briefly. “It’s too faint to read. Come to Castle Grayskull, He-Man. I will use your bond to strengthen your connection. I should be able to get a better reading on Adora.”

“Thank you, Sorceress,” He-Man replied. “We’re on our way.”

With that, he put Adora’s sword into the sheath on his back, slipping it alongside the Sword of Power, and then hopped onto Battle Cat’s saddle. 

“Let’s go, Cat! To Castle Grayskull and… to find Adora!”

“Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrawr!” Battle Cat leapt into action and the pair went off.

In the bushes, unnoticed by both cat and man, lay Beast Man. He’d been skulking around looking for something or someone to torment. Skeletor, his evil overlord, had made him feel worthless again. A waste of space. But this… he could use this information. Princess Adora was missing! If Skeletor found her first, they could trade her for anything! Maybe even the kingdom of Eternos!

Now Skeletor would know that Beast Man was a worthy ally. 

***

Adora woke up with a gasp which immediately became a groan which she swallowed. She didn’t know what was going on so it was important to be quiet. Stealthy. She was literally inside some kind of bag. Twisted and curled up tight. It was dark. Uncomfortable. Her head and neck ached like she’d been hit.

She’d been hit. The memories were coming back now. That one was slippery though. She didn’t have anything other than a memory of a hit and then nothing.

Adam! He wasn’t at the fishing hole. It was empty but quiet. She’d decided to… what?

THINK! Adora scrunched her eyes shut tighter. Anything could be a clue.

The bag banged. She was being carried? No. Maybe?

Adam. He wasn’t at the fishing hole. She’d decided to sit and just wait. She knew he’d be there sooner or later. Hiding from Teela or taking a break. Her brother worked so hard living a demanding double life, she couldn’t fault him for needing time to himself.

The bag shifted again and Adora bit back another groan. Her legs were cramping. Her back, tight. 

Without warning, the back dropped to the ground. Adora grew angry but waited, knowing she couldn’t do anything in her current predicament. Slowing her breathing down, listening intently.

Her patience was rewarded when the bag was cut open. Adora was on the ground for only a moment. Ignoring her screaming muscles and pain, she leapt to her feet and straight into a fighting stance. Grateful for her thorough, if painfully gotten, Horde training.

In front of her was that guy from the midsummer gala. Lord… Farnbold! Yes. He was the one who surprised her at the fishing hole. Adora took a quick step back and was stopped immediately by a pair of strong hands. Cruel hands.

“Let go!” She cried out, trying unsuccessfully to shake off the grip. “What do you want with me?”

Lord Farnbold stepped forward, reaching a hand out to caress the princess’ face.  
Pausing near a tender and bruised spot. “Come now, Princess, surely you know what’s going on.”

Adora dug her heels into the ground to try and gain some leverage and leaned to one side with all her might. It didn’t even shift the large man behind her. “Let. Me. Go!”

“Princess. Let’s dispense with the formalities, shall we?” Fanbold said. “This is a bride kidnapping. In a matter of moments, we shall complete the marriage and our kingdoms will be united together forever.”

The tall man shrugged, unconcerned, “This is how we do things here; I don’t know why you’re fighting. It’s an honour to be chosen by one such as me.”

“Well,” Adora said, thinking fast and determined NOT to be married against her will, “I think I can do without that honour.” 

And with that, she shifted quickly and tossed her head backwards hoping to hit the man who was behind her in the face. The man was holding her. The crunch and yelp and sudden release were the results of her work and Adora wasted no time standing still. She shifted, spun and kicked Lord Fanrbold right where it hurt the most. Before he even hit the ground, clutching himself tightly, Adora was off.

She had no idea where she was, or what direction she needed to go, or even who she could trust enough to ask for help but she would deal with that later. Now it was time to run.

On the ground, Farnbold rolled around. He was angry. He was embarrassed. He was a little bit turned on. No one ever fought him like that. Now, more than ever, he wanted the princess and he wasn’t going to let her get away. This was a bride worth fighting to claim and then tame.

“After her!” he yelled at his chief of staff who was currently, and gingerly, holding his bleeding nose. “You fool! Don’t let her get away!”

The man, dedicated to a fault, immediately took off after the escaping princess, quickly overtaking her with his longer stride. Of course, he hadn’t spent the day in a bag either. So it wasn’t much effort to catch up with the young woman and then hit her hard enough to knock her over.

Adora went down hard. Without a fight. Already suffering from a blow to the head from earlier, she didn’t stand a chance. With a quick look back to make sure his lord wasn’t watching, the chief of staff gave the unconscious woman a swift kick to the head to make sure she wouldn’t wake up any time soon.

***

He-Man suddenly staggered and nearly fell. The Sorceress’ hands followed him though the connection was suddenly broken.

The pair were standing in the throne room of Castle Grayskull. The Sorceress had been using magic to channel and strengthen the tenuous link between the twins. Hoping that they could get a sense of where the princess was and how she was doing.

“Gaah,” He-Man groaned. “What was that?”

The Sorceress took a breath in and paused for a moment. Searching and examining what she saw and felt. There was much to sort out.

“Princess Adora is injured. That was a blow to her head. I sense that she is unconscious now.”

He-Man’s eyes widened. Alarmed. “Is she alright? Where is she?”

The Sorceress reached up to put her hands on either side of the hero’s head. “Let me search again, He-Man.”

***

At Snake Mountain, Beast Man was snivelling at the foot of Skeletor’s throne. “I swear, Great One, the Princess of Eternia is missing!”

Skeletor, the terrifying nemesis of He-Man and of the Royal Family, paused. He looked down upon the drooling mess of a monster before him and considered the opportunity. If the princess was missing, maybe HE could find her. Use her to gain a ransom. Perhaps trade her for the throne of Eternia itself.

The evil wizard, blue skinned with a bony yellow face, was intrigued. 

“Get off the floor, you fool!” Skeletor commanded. “Go find Evil-Lyn. Together we will locate the princess and make King Randor, the great boob, pay dearly for her return!”


	5. Chapter 5

Consciousness came slowly to Adora. Pain that sharply increased with the slightest movement. She was lying on a hard surface, twisted uncomfortably. Everything hurt.

“She’s unconscious,” a voice nearby said. “I can’t marry you.”

A… something.. A foot? Nudged Adora.

“I followed the tradition. She was kidnapped. I carried her here in the wedding sack. She’s mine.”

Adora winced, the words adding to her headache. She wondered who they were talking about. 

“Be that as it may, we have rules about these things… I…” the meaning of the words slipped and slid around. Not making much sense.

“Princess…. Mine…. She’s fully aware…”

Adora wanted nothing more than to slide back under into the nothingness she was in before, but she kept rising up through the fog. She cracked open her eyes and saw that she was on the floor… somewhere. Booted feet around her. The light was blinding. She gasped and squeezed her eyes shut again. Tensing suddenly.

The noise alerted the men standing over her.

“My Lord, she’s awake,” Farnbold’s Chief of Staff announced. 

The rustle of fabric and a warm hand on her shoulder caused Adora to crack her eyes open again. A kindly face peered at her. She didn’t recognise him.

“My Lady,” the man said. “Princess, can you hear me?”

Adora bit back a groan, the noise stabbing her. “.... yes... “ she replied, softly. Hoping that was all that he wanted from her.

“Do you know where you are?”

“...Eternia…?” She wasn’t sure. It didn’t smell like Etheria, with its soft, warm air and delicate scents. But it didn’t quite smell like Eternia either. “...no….. Yes….. Eternia….?”

“What’s your name?”

Adora’s nose wrinkled at her annoyance with the persistent questions. All she wanted was for them to leave her alone so she could… what….she wasn’t sure but she knew she needed to be alone.

A sudden bout of nausea hit her hard and Adora quickly moved her hand to her face to have stave it off. Swallowing thickly, repeatedly, calmed her stomach for the moment.

“What’s your name? Do you know it?”

“... Adora…” Adora closed her eyes and sighed hoping this would end the questions.

More fabric, a movement and Adora felt like she was alone again. Words slipped around and through her as she lay on the floor trying to gather her wits.

“...satisfied?”

“...can’t argue…”

“...today…. Now….”

“...treaty….”

“Ok.”

Rough hands pulled Adora up and to her feet. The same large and cruel hands from… when? She didn’t remember. She just knew she didn’t like them. Adora leaned heavily onto whoever was holding her up. Her head, tipped drunkenly to the side. Someone took her hand in his. More words slipped around her.

In her ear, after a few moments, or maybe a really long time, “Say ‘yes,’” was hissed harshly into her ear. The warm breath irritated her. Adora struggled to keep her knees underneath her. The hands shook her ungently.

“Say it!”

“Yesssss,” the young woman slurred and then promptly leaned forward and threw up on the feet of the man in front of her before slipping back into oblivion.

***  
“She’s with Lord Farnbold,” He-Man said into his comm link. “Apparently it’s a bride kidnapping.”

The young man was livid and worried. His session, telepathically connecting with his sister through the Sorceress, gave them fragments of information. A face. A few words. Her feelings of nausea and disconnect. She was injured and in the wrong hands. In danger and worse than unarmed.

“A bride kidnapping!” On the other end, Duncan Man at Arms currently at the Royal Palace exclaimed. “Those were outlawed years ago!”

He-Man sighed, knowing full well that it was his own father who had enacted that law. “I know. But Duncan, it looks like new laws can’t always end generations old traditions. We have to get Adora back and fast!”

“What do you want to do?”

He-Man considered. There were a few avenues to take but he had to be mindful of not starting any kind of war with the neighbouring kingdoms and regions. This could go bad and fast.

Not sure if Duncan was alone or not, He-Man continued the conversation assuming others were listening in. It was always the safest route in order to protect his secret identity and that of his sister as well.

“Inform King Randor that I am going to retrieve the Princess. He may want to send a delegation of ambassadors and negotiators after she’s freed but I think sending in the guard now will only cause problems.”

“Agreed, He-Man. Do you need any help?”

He-Man smiled. The one person he could count on, always at the ready. “I’ve got Battle Cat with me, old friend. I’m going to go in, grab Adora and get out again. Please let the king and queen know that their daughter will be home soon.”

“I will, He-Man,” Duncan responded. “Be safe.”

“I will,” He-Man said, signing off.

The young man looked up. He was still standing in the throne room of Castle Grayskull, just about ready to leave. The urge to go was powerfully strong, but Adora’s life depended on him having everything he needed including knowledge.

“Are you certain she’s there?” He asked.

The Sorceress, sighed, not with impatience but with concern. She, too, felt the press of urgency in this situation. “Unfortunately, yes. Your sister is very close to the Dark Hemisphere. With her injuries, and without the healing power of the Sword of Protection, she is incredibly vulnerable to not only Lord Farnbold but also Skeletor.”

“If he gets wind of her kidnapping, there’s no telling what he would do!”

“Precisely, He-Man. Time is of the essence. You must heal her injuries with her sword as soon as you can. She is seriously injured. I can transport you and Battle Cat close to where I sense your sister is. Good luck!” And with that, the Sorceress raised her hands and cast a spell on the heroes, causing them to disappear.

***  
“She’s with Lord Farnbold,” Evil-Lyn announced, looking up from her scrying pool. 

Skeletor stood beside her, peering in but seeing nothing. This magic wasn’t responding to his power and it irked the blue wizard. “How sure are you? Remember the incident with the giants?”

Evil-Lyn winced. It wasn’t her fault that Skeletor had fools and oafs working for him. The worst of the worst of the evil outcasts. Trap Jaw and Beast Man were particularly useless and were often behind the failure of many a dastardly plan.

“The Princess is nearby,” the witch affirmed. “She’s on the closest edge of Farnbold’s kingdom. Easy to grab for ourselves and our profit!”

Skeletor cackled with glee. Why, the princess was practically served up to him! All he had to do was send a small group of beasts in to grab her. King Randor would give him whatever he wanted in order to get her back. It was fool-proof!

“We must leave right away,” Skeletor announced. “There’s no time to waste. Transport us as close as you can so we leave nothing to chance. Not even He-Man can stop us now!”


	6. Chapter 6

Skeletor and Evil-Lyn appeared inside a darkened room in an ornate castle. The curtains were drawn, though the windows were open so the sounds of normal outdoor life on Eternia wafted in. The walls were covered in tapestries and golden decorations. Gems sparkled from every corner the moment any light caught them.

The room was a bedchamber, with the largest piece of furniture being an incredibly enormous bed, covered in woven gold blankets. If Skeletor could have, he would have rolled his eyes at the excess display of wealth that Lord Farnbold liked to display. It was too much, even for him.

Evil-Lyn spun around quickly and then focused on the bed. There, lying in the centre was the princess! And she appeared to be asleep.

“Skeletor, look!” the witch hissed, catching Skeletor’s attention. “There she is. Let’s grab her now while she’s sleeping!”

The pair went over to the bed. With a flick of his Havoc Staff, Skeletor used his magic to wrap Adora in ropes, effectively tying her up. “Wake her up so we can take her and go,” he ordered.

Evil-Lyn reached out to give Adora a good hard shake but the woman didn’t respond. Something was very wrong. 

“She won’t wake up!”

“Fool! You’re being too gentle with her,” Skeletor grabbed Adora by the shoulders, lifted her up and let her fall. The woman didn’t even groan. She was limp and unresponsive. 

“That boob Farnbold has injured her!” Skeletor announced, disgusted. “He doesn’t even know how to kidnap anyone the right way.”

“Shall I heal her injuries, Skeletor?”

Skeletor considered. He wanted the princess whole and unharmed in order to get the best price from Randor, but she was really easy to control when she was unconscious. No fighting back. No talking. But.. he didn’t want to have to carry her either.

“Yes, do it… but,” He paused, “Just heal her enough to get her on her feet so we can get moving.”

With a nod, Evil-Lyn touched a glowing hand to Adora’s head and very quickly the woman opened her eyes and looked around.

“What? What’s going on here?” She asked. Slowly but without any hint of slurring. She started struggling in her bonds, Weakly but definitely awake.

Skeletor nodded. Perfect. “That’s enough. Let’s go. No need to waste your magic on her.”

And with a complex, but familiar, series of gestures, Skeletor opened a gateway up, right in the room. He unceremoniously pulled the princess off the bed and put her firmly on her feet.

“Move it, Princess! You’re MY prisoner now.” And he prodded her through the portal with his staff, closely followed by Evil-Lyn. The portal closing behind the trio without a sound.

***  
In the courtyard below the room where Adora just was, He-Man and Battle Cat appeared. The two looked around to get a sense of where they were.

Ah, He-Man recognised it! They were in Farnbold’s castle. Now, to find his sister!

Very quickly, the pair were surrounded by armed guards all pointing their staffs at them. One spoke up, “Who are you and what is your business here?”

He-Man stepped forward, displaying an air of calm he definitely wasn’t feeling. “I am He-Man, Champion of Castle Grayskull and I am here to retrieve Princess Adora.”

“There is no Princess…” The guard started saying, but was suddenly interrupted by Lord Farnbold himself stepping into the circle.

“I have no quarrel with you, Friend,” the tall man announced. “No need to cause a scene.”

“Lord Farnbold, I understand you have the Princess Adora in your possession. I am here to bring her home.”

Lord Farnbold chuckled loudly and for longer than was comfortable. “I have no princess here, He-Man. I do, however,” he paused for effect, “Have my new bride here.”

He-Man’s stomach dropped. He was too late! But how could that be with his sister unconscious? He knew that wasn’t allowed under the traditional rules Farnbold was following. “No!”

“Indeed, He-Man. The marriage is done and official. My wife is going nowhere with you!”

Battle Cat suddenly roared, scaring the crowd. Everyone except He-Man took a big step back. “Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreturn her! Noooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!”

Farnbold paled a bit, fearing for his safety.

“You may see her, but under our law she is staying here.”

He-Man knew he had to grab any chance he could to see his sister. Then he could slip her the sword she so desperately needed. He didn’t hesitate to lie in response. Not when every minute counted.

“Agreed. Take me to her.”

The Lord, his Chief of Staff, He-Man and Battle Cat all entered the castle together. He-Man ignored the ostentatious display of gold and gems everywhere. None of that mattered. They went quickly up a flight of stairs and into a darkened bedchamber at the end of the corridor. 

Going from bright light, to a darkened room made it difficult to see for a few moments. Battle Cat, with no such issues, leapt forward straight to the bed. “She’s not here, He-Man!”

He-Man rounded on Farnbold who was suddenly even more afraid in the face of the hero’s anger. “Where is she?”

“I-I-I…” Farnbold stammered.

He-Man suddenly grabbed the man by the collar, picked him up and pushed him against the nearest wall.

“Answer me! NOW!” He roared, shaking the windows in their frames.

“I can smell Skeletor,” Battle Cat interrupted. “And Adora. And.. Evil-Lyn.” The big cat sneezed suddenly.

He-Man gave Farnbold one last push into the wall before dropping him. Just as he turned, his comm link crackled.

“He-Man! Can you hear me?” Duncan’s voice sounded out.

He-Man held his wrist up closer to his face. “I’m here, Man At Arms. Go ahead.”

“We’ve had word from Skeletor and Snake Mountain. They have the Princess and are demanding a ransom from the king!”

He-Man groaned inwardly. Could this day get any worse?

“He-Man, there’s more. We have one day to come up with what Skeletor wants or he’s going to kill her! He said he’s not playing around any more, and anything other than the payment he’s demanding, or any attempt at rescue and Princess Adora is dead.”


	7. Chapter 7

Adora considered her current situation. She was exhausted. She was sitting in a dungeon in Snake Mountain. No longer tied up but also, not entirely sure how she ended up there. The last thing she really remembered was waiting for Adam at the fishing hole. Everything after was jumbled and unclear. She definitely remembered Skeletor though. 

The moment Beast Man left her sitting on the bench, Adora had reached for her sword. It was gone! How? Why?

Ok. Ok. Changing to She-Ra wasn’t an option. She had to assume that no one knew where she was so waiting around to be rescued wasn’t an option. Getting out and back to her family was going to be entirely up to her. Leaning on her Horde training, Adora immediately began to catalogue. What did she have that could work in her favour?

Adora stood up, ignoring her headache and started examining the room she was locked in. There was no window. Only a crude bench against one rough stone wall and a door. The door was barred with bones. Ew.

“Skeletor really needs to hire a decorator,” Adora quipped to herself. Falling back on old habits in order to raise her energy. “Bones are so last year.”

With both hands she grasped the bone bars and gave them a test shake and pull. Definitely too strong for her to break through in her current form, even if she was at full strength. But…. Adora pressed her face against the bars, remembering the last time she was imprisoned in Snake Mountain. The door mechanism was just off to the side. YES!

Reaching through the gaps in the bars, Adora was grateful she wasn’t as heavily muscled as the beasts or men she knew. Her leaner arm fit through easily and with some stretching she was able to reach the skull shaped door switch with a finger.

Knowing she didn’t have much time, Adora pressed her face harder against the bars, feeling a sharp pain like a bruise being pressed on her head. She couldn’t worry about that now. A few swipes with her hand and suddenly the bars started going up. She was free!

Slipping out quickly, Adora lowered the bars again. No use giving Skeletor or his minions warning that she was free. Now… to find her way out while avoiding detection.

***

Lord Farnbold was the angriest he had ever been. No one had the right to intimidate him in his own castle! Not even that muscle bound fool, He-Man! And now his own wife was missing before he’d even had a chance to complete the final step of the ritual marriage.

Lord Farnbold didn’t get to be where he was simply by accident of birth. He was a lord because he was ruthless and cunning and willing to do whatever he needed to do. If his people knew that his wife was missing, he would lose face. There was only one thing he could do and that was go after her.

“Assemble the guard,” Farnbold told his Chief of Staff. “We’re going after my wife before that villain Skeletor can lay his hands on her!”

The Chief winced. Loyal to a fault but he also knew that their kingdom was vulnerable being so close to the edge of the Dark Hemisphere. Going in and stirring up trouble could be devastating for them. “Lord, what about our treaties with Skeletor and his minions?” 

Lord Farnbold snorted. “Those ended when they kidnapped my wife! Now get the troops together or I’ll have you replaced.”

***

Adora was lost. Blast! She didn’t know Snake Mountain all that well and so she’d been steadily heading to what she hoped was the ground floor. The last time she was there, she’d gone through the throne room but now she was actively trying to avoid it. Without her ability to turn into She-Ra, and feeling weak and tired, she knew she had to be more cautious.

Hearing footsteps, she quickly slipped into a dark alcove to let whoever it was pass. 

“Soon, Skeletor will be ruling Eternia!” A voice declared.

“Do you think so?” A second voice queried. Both were coming closer with every step.

The two beasts walked past.

“Sure. He has the one thing Randor wants. The Princess Adora!”

Adora frowned, annoyed at being a pawn. “Not any more, he doesn’t!” she muttered quietly. Now doubly determined to find her way out. “I am no one’s bargaining chip.”

She slipped out of the alcove and headed further down the corridor. There had to be a way out somewhere.

***

He-Man considered his options as Battle Cat ran them both as fast as he could towards Snake Mountain. A full on assault would be too dangerous. Though Skeletor had been easy enough to defeat in the past, lately it seemed like the demon wizard had changed. He was more cruel and less impulsive than before.

No, stealth was the better route. And If Adora was a prisoner, He-Man was sure she’d be held in the dungeons. He’d been there too many times before and knew his way around.

Arriving at the base of Snake Mountain, He-Man dismounted and looked around. The area was clear.

“Hide here, Cat,” he instructed. “I’m going to go in and get my sister. I won’t be long.”

Battle Cat slipped into the edge of the undergrowth around them. “I’ll be here when you come out, He-Man.”

He-Man smiled fondly at his companion, “Thank you, old friend. I’ll see you soon!”

He-Man made his way over to a less used door, hidden behind some scrub. 

“Now, to get my sister,” he said as he slipped inside. Confident that he could easily sort this mess out before long. And undetected.

***

In the throne room of Snake Mountain, a device alarm went off. 

“Skeletor!” Beast Man slobbered. “He-Man has entered Snake Mountain!”

Skeletor turned suddenly. Not surprised but definitely not happy. “That muscle bound oaf is going to cost me my kingdom!” He declared. “I told Randor I would kill the Princess and I will!”

Beast Man quivered. He didn’t like this new, meaner Skeletor. Things were fine the way they were before.

“She’s such a pretty Princess,” Beast Man dared to say. “Do we really have to kill her?”

Not for the first time, Skeletor wondered why he surrounded himself with fools and idiots. Everything was made more difficult by their bumbling and questioning.

“Before we kill her, fool, I will make sure Randor understands the threat! Go get the princess from the dungeons. NOW!”

As soon as the monster left, another alarm went off. Skeletor looked over to see that there was an army assembling in front of Snake Mountain.

“What now?” He groaned.

Turning on the view screen, he could see that they were waving the flag belonging to Lord Farnbold.

“Skeletor!” A soldier stepped forward and spoke into a loudspeaker. “Return the Princess Adora to her rightful kingdom or face the consequences!”

Skeletor couldn’t believe it. He had He-Man inside Snake Mountain about to cause trouble. An army out front, threatening him. And King Randor resisting the terms of the ransom. This princess was becoming more trouble than she was worth!

Maybe it was time to simply kill her and be done with this mess once and for all.


	8. Chapter 8

Adora was tiring. She could feel the burst of adrenaline that was carrying her, fading fast. She needed to find her way out and soon before she couldn’t take another step forward. Turning a corner she stumbled and nearly ran straight into Beast Man.

Being half beast, half man gave the creature an amazing response time. Before Adora had fully registered the situation, he’d already grabbed her. Not one to be taken down easily, Adora leaned back hard, hoping to overbalance him. No luck. Instead, Beast Man pulled her in closer, something that really kicked off Adora’s fight or flight instincts.

“I’ve got you now, Princess,” Beast Man announced. “Stop fighting!”

“No thanks, Fangs,” Adora responded while squirming hard. “That just doesn’t work for me.”

She gave him a good, hard kick where it hurt and Beast Man released her with one hand in order to grab himself. Adora used his distraction to try and pull herself down and free, counting on overbalancing the creature.

What she didn’t count on was him falling on her.

“Oooooof!” Adora wheezed when the full weight of the monster landed on her. “Get… OFF….of…. Me!”

With every word, she tried shoving him aside but it was no use. With her strength fading fast and her anxiety ramped up at being unable to escape, Adora’s efforts weren’t enough.

And then he was gone. Adora lay on the floor panting and stunned. 

“I believe the lady is done with you today!” He-Man said holding Beast Man aloft. He quickly spun the monster around so fast that he became a blur. “Why don’t you pick on someone your own size?”

He-Man sent the Beast Man flying down the corridor so far away that they didn’t hear him land. Adora, suddenly feeling safe for the first time in a long time, stayed on the floor and closed her eyes. Just breathing.

He-Man dropped to his knees as soon as Beast Man was gone, worried about his sister. She wasn’t getting up or doing anything normal. He had no way of knowing how badly she was injured.

“Adora,” the strong man reached out a tender hand and cradled his twin’s face for a moment. “Everything will be alright. I’ve got you.”

He pulled the Sword of Protection out of the sheath and put the hilt in his sister’s hand. “And I’ve got your sword too.”

Adora could hardly believe it but she didn’t have the energy to even say the words. “For… the….” She trailed off.

He-Man pulled his own sword out and laid it across the other. “By the Power of Grayskull!”

Magic leapt from one sword to the other and fully engulfed the pair. Suddenly Adora’s eyes opened. Then she sat up and looked around.

“How? Brother?” Adora asked. “What’s going on?”

He-Man pulled his sister to her feet and then into a quick hug. “I’ll answer your questions and more, Sis, but later. We need to leave - now.”

Suddenly alarms went off throughout Snake Mountain. Adora’s eyes narrowed. “I think I want to thank old Bone Brain for his hospitality first, my Brother. He sure knows how to make a girl feel welcome!”

And with that Adora lifted up her sword and said, “For the Honour of Grayskull!”

With She-Ra now in place, as strong as ever, the two locked eyes and grinned. It was time to have some fun, Grayskull style.

“What’s a girl gotta do around here to get a dance?” She-Ra asked.

He-Man laughed out loud. This felt so good. “I know exactly who needs a dance, Sis. Follow me!”

And the pair ran off towards the throne room and Skeletor.

***

Outside of Snake Mountain, Farnbold’s troops were firing flaming bombs. The lord had gotten tired of waiting for a proper response from Skeletor and ordered his troops to begin the assault.

Very quickly monsters poured out of Snake Mountain. Snake men. Lizard people. Monsters of various grotesque shapes and sizes and the fighting became intense. The human soldiers were forced to fight hand to fang and it was quickly clear who had the advantage.

Farnbold, watching from a safe distance realised this wasn’t going to end well for him or his people but he was in too deep to withdraw now. The princess was his and he would sacrifice anyone to have her back.

***

Just outside of the throne room, He-Man paused and held his comm link to his mouth. Quickly and quietly he relayed his success to Duncan. He knew it could be hours before they got home and he didn’t want his parents worrying for any longer than they had to.

A quick nod to She-Ra and the pair burst in on Skeletor who was raging at his view screens.

“I want to lodge a complaint about the hospitality here, Bone Brain,” She-Ra announced. “You really don’t know how to treat your guests.”

Skeletor whirled around, not believing how bad things suddenly became.

“She-Ra!” He exclaimed. “And that infernal He-Man! No matter! I’ve got the Princess Adora and I will kill her if you come any closer!”

“Oh I don’t think so,” He-Man said, coming closer. “We've freed the princess and she asked us to give you a message.”

He-Man grabbed Skeletor and twirled him around. “She-Ra! Catch!”

He launched Skeletor towards She-Ra who deftly caught the blue wizard and tossed him back to He-Man. “I think it’s time we cleaned this place up. Don’t you, He-Man?”

She-Ra punched a hole in the wall that led to the outside and the battle below. “I think we need more light and less Skeletor in here. It’ll really brighten the place up!”

Tossing Skeletor through the hole and down into the fray, He-Man quipped, “It feels better in here already!”

The pair peered through the hole to see what was going on below.

Skeletor, having landed at the feet of Lord Farnbold, recovered quickly. The pair immediately began fighting.

“Let’s leave them to their mess, shall we?” He-Man said. Unconcerned at either one’s fate. “I think it’s time to go home.”

She-Ra shook her head. “I think we need to sort this out once and for all, my Brother. I don’t like being kidnapped and I don’t want it to happen again.”

She leapt out of the hole and down into the fray without looking back. He-Man shrugged and jumped down after her. He knew his sister was wilful but he was about to find out just how much.

Wading through the troops, She-Ra grabbed Lord Farnbold by the collar with one hand and Skeletor by the cowl with the other hand and pulled them apart. Skeletor, realising he was out matched quickly vanished using a simple spell.

“Blast!”She-Ra swore just as He-Man ran up. Around them, Skeletor’s minions, seeing their master disappear, ran away too. The battle was over.

“Never mind, She-Ra. The person you need to talk to is Lord Farnbold. And you’ve got him.”

Farnbold, realising he was in trouble tried to wriggle his way free.

“Sword to cuffs!” She-Ra ordered, holding the Sword of Protection aloft. The sword morphed to magical cuffs which encircled Lord Farnbold and prevented him from escaping. “Lord Farnbold, we need to talk.”

“I’ve got nothing to say to you,” Farnbold blustered. “I’m here to retrieve my wife from Skeletor and his minions.”

“Your wife?” She-Ra exclaimed in surprise.

“The Princess Adora. We were married earlier and Skeletor kidnapped her from our bedchambers!”

She-Ra put a hand to her mouth in shock. Nothing made sense. She was missing too much time. Too many memories. Married? She was married?

He-Man seeing his sister lose focus stepped forward. “Bride kidnapping was outlawed years ago, Farnbold. Your marriage is not valid and will not be recognized by King Randor or any of the Royal Family.” 

Lord Farnbold blustered, “You don’t scare me, He-Man!”

He-Man turned away to radio the palace. This was a matter they would have to deal with. If a rogue kingdom wouldn’t follow the rules, it could spell trouble. Eternia could only have peace if all the kingdoms worked together.

She-Ra meanwhile was thinking furiously. For much of her life, her agency, her ability to choose, had been taken away from her. From how she grew up, to what she was responsible for, to the royal duties awaiting her when she finally left Etheria. She hadn’t chosen any of this! And to find out she’d been married, against her will, was just the final straw. She’d had enough.

“Farnbold - for assault against the Princess Adora, kidnapping, abuse. and causing her harm, I’m politely inviting you to enjoy the Dark Hemisphere for a lot longer.”

He-Man turned back from the comm link just in time to see She-Ra free the man from the cuffs and then throw him so hard he quickly disappeared from sight. Deep into the darkness.

She-Ra looked around searching for someone. There! “You!” She called out, singling out Farnbold’s Chief of Staff. “Your leader has taken an unexpected trip farther into the Dark Hemisphere. You may want to go find him and bring him home. But you tell him, from me and Princess Adora, that if he ever tries to kidnap anyone again for any reason, I’ll throw him so far away he will never find his way home. Understood?”

The Chief of Staff paled at the ferocity from the woman. He gulped and nodded. “Understood.”

“Then go and get your leader before I change my mind.” 

With that She-Ra turned her back on Farnbold’s men. “Ready to go home, my Brother?”

He-Man, mouth agape at the sudden violence decided to simply nod. He whistled suddenly and Battle Cat appeared moments later.

“She-Ra!” the large cat proclaimed. “It’s good to see you again.”

She-Ra laughed, relieved to be done. “And you, my friend. Good to see you too. Let’s get out of here.”


	9. Chapter 9

“I just don’t understand.”

Adam sighed quietly. More than a little embarrassed and ashamed that Eternia showed a terrible side to his sister. He knew it wasn’t representative of his whole world but still…

It was a full day later. The twins had decided it would be best for He-Man to bring Adora home, and having Adam appear later. No one would believe Adam had rescued his sister and even hinting at it could blow his cover.

The welcome they got was over the top. Their parents were overjoyed to see Adora again. Thankful that there appeared to be no injuries though they insisted she spend time with the palace physician. So many questions about what happened and some difficult decisions made by King Randor about sanctions and sending troops to Lord Farnbold’s kingdom.

It was too much all at once and what Adora really wanted to do was sleep and rest for the first while. Once alone in her quarters in the palace, though, the young woman found herself awake and restless. Not knowing what had happened to her while she was unconscious and vulnerable left her feeling queasy and even afraid.

She didn’t like feeling afraid. Powerless.

“Does it matter, Adora? You’re safe now.”

Adora whirled around, feeling a flash of anger and then surprise. She was usually very good at emotional control but today she was a mess and she knew it. “I want to know what happened to me! And more importantly, why!”

Adam took a small step back, held his hands up and tried to look non threatening. The two were back at the fishing hole, slipping out of the palace early in the day because Adora couldn’t take being alone with her thoughts any longer but couldn’t face going out alone on Eternia either.

She resented needing her brother there but felt better having him there at the same time.

“Ok, Sis, so what we know is you came here and there was some kind of fight or ambush.” Adam pointed across the water. “I found your sword over there.”

Adora went over to where Adam indicated. Only just over a day later, but a million lifetimes later, but the evidence of what had happened was still visible. Adora crouched and touched one of her footprints. It was deep and looked like she had… twisted? Fallen?

Looking off to the side, she could see the faint markings where she must have landed. Once again thankful for the Horde training she’d received growing up, Adora was able to read the tracks and fill in some blanks.

“I think someone hit me,” she said straightening up. “I had the upper hand against Farnbold’s Chief of Staff and then suddenly…. I don’t remember. I had my sword to his throat. He was on the ground.”

“So Farnbold must have come up behind you and knocked you out!” Adam searched the ground. “Look!”

Slightly hidden in the grass was a fist sized rock with some blood on it. When Adora picked it up, she could see a few strands of golden hair.

“By the Ancients!” Adam swore, now more angry than he was before. “You didn’t stand a chance! There was nothing you could have done against a blow to the head with a rock.”

Adora let the rock fall out of her hand. It hit the ground with a little whump sound and lay still. She looked up at her brother, unsure.

“So now what?”

Adam pulled his twin into a tight embrace, feeling the echo of her uncertainty in his own belly. “Father has sent a delegation to Farnbold’s kingdom. They are going to be audited, sanctioned and thoroughly reminded of the laws of Eternia. They won’t be allowed to do anything like this to anyone else again.”

“But what about me?” Adora asked, feeling both selfish and vulnerable. Nestling deeper into the safety of the hug. “I’ve been married.”

“The marriage wasn’t legal in the first place,” Adam assured her. “And thanks to your head injury, you were unable to consent even if it was.”

Placing a kiss on her hair, Adam continued, “And Sis, you’re ok. You’re ok. We’ve been assured that between Skeletor’s actions and He-Man’s arrival, the marriage ceremony was never finished. No one touched you.”

Adora pulled away with a sad shake of her head. “Now if only it felt like that to me.”


End file.
